


Break Away

by Ipodsandstars



Series: 100 Themes Challenge [6]
Category: Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Adorable Bruce Banner, Angsty Schmoop, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Feels, Darcy Feels, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Protective Bruce Banner, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-08 00:59:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1920711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ipodsandstars/pseuds/Ipodsandstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>6th in the 100 Themes Challenge</p><p> He didn’t want to hurt her, but he had to, to save her<br/>An extended version of “I Promised…” another fanfic of mine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Break Away

**Author's Note:**

> At the beginning of writing this fic, it was originally not gonna be an extended version of a prompt sent to me by a lovely anon on Tumblr. However the idea for this came along and stuck with me. reviews on all my fics would be appreciated and I love you guys xx

6\. Break Away  
Summary: He didn’t want to hurt her, but he had to, to save her  
An extended version of “I Promised…” another fanfic of mine.

Bruce really thought he had finally managed to settle down and not be able to run away. Bruce thought he could finally have a life with someone he loved and he never wanted to let go of her but it seemed fate had other ideas. Fate had finally caught up with him and had decided to bite him in the ass.

It had been a usual, Tony-Stark-is-an-asshole fun filled day and Bruce couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as Darcy got into her daily fight with the billionaire – she was threatening all sorts of bodily harm to him, which only Natasha was actually capable of doing but Tony still felt threatened, even though he had a cheeky grin on his face. When that was over, Darcy had left to go make sure Thor hadn’t broke anything too important that day – though considering the god’s strength, which was a hard thing to keep him from doing. But they also knew Thor liked to hug his friends quite often, so Bruce being protective of her was more concerned about Darcy’s bones.

His thoughts on Darcy were put to one side for a few moments as Tony tapped him on the shoulder once Darcy had strolled out of the lab.  
“So what’s the plan, Lime Green Kick-Ass Machine?” Tony grinned, slapping Bruce on the back playfully.  
Bruce stared at him for the nickname, it was possibly the longest nickname the Other Guy had ever had and he hoped it stayed that way because he knew how bad Tony’s imagination could get. He was nervous inside; the two had been planning this for months. What were they planning, you ask?

Bruce’s proposal to Darcy. He loved her and he wanted to be with her, his heart and mind had moved on from one Betty Ross and well, Darcy… Darcy was his everything and also the Other Guy’s girl too. Oh yeah, he was damn possessive of her.  
Tonight there was to be a party to celebrate New York being saved by the Avengers from Loki – Almost four years ago. Bruce also knew it was Darcy’s birthday soon. She was and always was beautiful, young, smart and talented… Everything about her was just amazing and he wanted to make things perfect, so that’s probably why he ended up going to his best friend. He’d been happily married to Pepper for two years now and to be honest, nobody knew how she put up with his shit but at least it proved Tony Stark did have a heart.

“You’ll stall her with your music and as far as I know, she’s helping Pepper set up.” Bruce started talking, typing at the computer in front of him, every once in a while he’d turn to Tony and gave a quick smile and he carried on talking. “That will probably, hopefully distract her for a little while and if not, you can do what you do best. When that fails, Darcy will come looking for me, as usual.”

“And then?” Tony asked his friend, with a smug grin.  
“I’ll be on the roof, looking at the stars as you know what happens when I’m around too many people. Darcy will come up and hopefully, things go smoothly from there.”  
“And then you bang her against the wall as you make out.” Tony added, his smug grin turning into a roar of laughter at Bruce’s facial expressions.

Said scientist was blushing a bright shade of red and he had to resist the urge to slap the shit out of him. Though, with the way Darcy was, Tony’s comment had about a ninety-nine percent chance of becoming true. After all the things that had happened in both their lives, Bruce just wanted this one moment to be perfect, no interruptions, nothing and he worried so much. It was part of his nature, he realised. Ever since the Other Guy came bursting into his life. His thoughts went back to the one vital part of the plan – the ring.

“I’m going to need you to pick up the ring for me; you know we went through the details.” Bruce sort of asked-ordered Tony, to which he nodded.  
“It’s all sorted buddy, I got your back.”  
And that’s what Bruce was grateful for. When the Other Guy happened and everything just turned bat shit crazy, Bruce thought it was for the best that he withdrew from the world – went on the run and hid from what he had become. All he saw was the terrible beast, the terrible big green monster everyone ran screaming from. All he saw was the future he had so badly wanted and planned with Betty, in shatters before his eyes. All hope of a normal life, gone. He had wanted kids with her, a house and maybe even a dog but now, now he had nothing, he was nothing. Too dangerous for her. Too dangerous for anyone.

Darcy had been the one to change his mind about that – nobody had ever been so nice to him and the Other Guy like she was with them. She had the both of them wrapped around her fingers and to be fair, neither the Other Guy nor Bruce himself didn’t want to pull away from her. Tony being Tony however, had told the other Avengers about Bruce’s plan and they all immediately wanted in on it. Even Jane, who like Bruce himself, would spend days in their labs if it wasn’t for sweet, beautiful Darcy.  
The two male scientists went to work on going over every detail, every step. Who was going to be at the party and where it was being held. The event, the party itself was to be public to those who could afford to come, according to Tony but the proposal would happen on the rooftop with just Darcy and Bruce, which he himself was fine with and he could handle that.

Everything was just going right, when it started going wrong.

Bruce spent the next good ten hours doing some actual science without Tony distracting him before he too decided to start heading down town. The good thing about having the Other Guy was that nobody knew the human Bruce, all the media saw him as was the big green guy so, Bruce, squishy human Bruce could walk through streets unnoticed which he rather liked because he could have the chance to be normal for once. However, there was just one downside to this.

Today, of all days Bruce had decided to leave his mobile at home – his, no his and Darcy’s apartment in the tower. Natasha had been the one to alert the others first – she’d tried Bruce’s number but discovered she couldn’t get through to him, never before had she sounded so desperate upon contacting them but that’s probably because she knew all too well the consequences if they didn’t act fast enough.

“Where the hell is Banner?” she practically screamed down the phone at Tony, who had literally just missed Banner walking out the of the tower a mere ten minutes ago. He also complained it wasn’t exactly his fault the hermit had left the tower. “Tony, this is no time for jokes, HYDRA have found Darcy and are on the way to get her. They’re not after Pepper, just Darcy and you know why.”

“They plan to unleash the Hulk, that’s what they want” Tony’s hand ran down his face, fear rising in his voice as his fist clenched. He was angry. Angry that HYDRA would pull something like this and he was worried for both Pepper and Darcy, no matter what Natasha had said and they knew they needed to find Bruce as soon as possible. It was possibly the only time Tony Stark was allowed to break the speed limit.

He almost crashed when he found Bruce, just a few blocks away from the town hall. The front seat passenger door flung open so hard it looked like the other Guy had ripped it off its hinges and Tony had a half-arsed attempt at putting it back on.  
“Tony, what the hell!?”  
“HYDRA after Darcy, get in. NOW.”  
‘HYDRA’ and ‘Darcy’ were all Bruce needed before he was in the car; he needed an explanation but wasn’t getting one from Tony who was concentrating on breaking all the laws possible. The car soon came to a stop and Bruce was hurling himself up the stairs, yelling Darcy’s name.

His entire world came to a stand still when he saw what was in front of him. A wine glass, broken and jagged edges sticking out of a pool of purple liquid, next to it laid a lifeless woman. Darcy. Pepper was sobbing, so were a few of the staff members who had rang an ambulance.  
Darcy’s face was as white and pale like snow – lifeless. Bruce ran on over, his strong arms picked her up and settled her against his chest when he sat on a chair.  
“Darcy?” he asked softly, holding back tears. One hand cupped her face softly as his voice broke. “Darcy, you can open your eyes now. It’s okay, it’s me, Bruce. I’ve got you.”  
He checked her pulse, it was weak and he knew Darcy couldn’t hear him. The HYDRA agent was later found… and destroyed but Bruce didn’t remember much of it, the bastard deserved it after all.

When Bruce made it to the hospital after the hulk-out, the others were waiting for him. It had been poison, a mere simple assassination attempt but she was alive and in a coma – Bruce almost cried. The love of his life was now trapped inside her own body because of him – Bruce had promised to protect her, he’d promised her ever since they had started dating and now he had failed her. The hospital staff said she’d wake up eventually, Bruce was allowed in to see her.

He felt numb as he walked into the room, hearing the beeps of the machines monitoring her and he smiled a broken smile as he reached her. His trembling hands cupping her face, tears rolling down his cheeks which proceeded to fall onto Darcy’s own pale face.

“Darcy... I’m sorry... I’m so sorry I failed you.” Bruce whispered “I promised I’d protect you… and look where that has gotten you. It’s my fault.”  
“No Bruce, it isn’t…”  
Bruce turned his head to see Tony standing there behind him, He stood up straight and turned to face him, one of his hands slipping into one of Darcy‘s own.  
“Tony…”  
“No, Bruce. Darcy Paige Lewis is a kickass assistant. Smart and beautiful and you know as well as I do, she would say this isn’t your fault. She is yours Bruce and she always will be.” Tony placed a small box in Bruce’s hand and he opened it – the engagement ring he was going to use to proclaim his love for Darcy.

Bruce slowly shakes his head before placing the ring in Darcy’s lap and he kisses her, longingly and delicately before forcing himself to break away. Tony is frozen to the spot, shocked as he watches Bruce walk away. Watches his best friend make one life-changing decision over one simple act.

Bruce turns to face Tony and he’s crying, his voice full of despair and grief.  
“She’s not mine, anymore.”

One simple act by HYDRA had changed all their plans forever.


End file.
